Suggestions for a Cross Bike

rsinger814

rsinger814

Well-Known Member
I'd really like to try racing cross this year. Actually really excited! However, I don't currently have a cross bike.

I need bike suggestions as the title states. I would like something that can be more than a dedicated cross bike. Something to serve as a commuter/gravel/cross bike. I would like to keep it fairly cheap too. $1000 max, would like to stay under for sure.

Steel touring bike conversion, just browse craigslist, does anyone have anything here to get me started (5'9")?

I appreciate all advice.
 
What bike(s) do you already have? A HT 29er can be a highly effective CX race machine if you have one.

Steel touring bikes have very different geometries than typical CX race bikes. I do not recommend that route because there are much better options these days.

The Industry has been pimping gravel bikes for a few years so you may easily be able to find something used in that category for under a grand. There are so many viable options depending on where you want to be on the continuum of cx race--gravel--touring. If commuting is part of the plan, it's nice to have a bike with fender/rack eyelets. Staying with canti brakes will make finding a cheap backup set of race wheels much easier.

If I were looking to buy an entry level CX race bike it's hard to go wrong with whatever the aluminum cx bike from the big brand is: CAAD-X (has fender mounts), Specialized Crux (the metal one), Fuji CX whatever. Just beware that particularly with cx bikes, the nominal sizing is meaningless. Forget what size they call it. Instead look at the actual geo chart.
 
Under $1,000? You have a lot of options. The Raleigh RX bikes are really nice, but there are so many other options (Kona Jake, Jamis Supernova, Specialized Tri-Cross, Surly Cross Check or Straggler). Most options will be probably be aluminum. See if you can find a 2012 or so. Price point should be good. I ride a 2007 Van Dessel Hole Shot. Raced it 2007-2010. Haven't raced much recently, but I've been commuting on it for the past 3 months and it is holding up to the abuse of the tow path nicely.

If you want to go commuter option, I'd go for the Raleigh or Surly or any other option that has rack mounts. Riding with a backpack in the summer is the worst part of my commute.

RB_2011_RX1.0_Matte-Army-Green_LG.jpg
 
I currently have a 2014 Specialized Crave Pro, a Look KG351, and a 1985 Peugeot.

I would like to be closer to a cx bike but with the ability to commute without a backpack. I was looking at Surly, I forgot about the Raleigh.
Obviously I should keep my eyes open on craigslist. What LBS deal Surly and or Raleigh?
 
Somervillian!

Jay at Halters deals with Surly and it sounds like that bike fits the bill the most.

Sure, it isn't going to be a screaming race machine as it is slightly heavier, but it will do the job just fine. I don't know if he has any on the floor at the moment. A few of the employees have the steel road bikes they offer, I'm sure you have a good chance that if you show up, one of them would be in the shop for you to get an idea on sizing!
 
All City Macho Man with cantis would be on my short list for steel do everything cx bike. Surly Crosscheck is much less racy geo.
 
Nothing against disc. I'm sure they stop better but I've not yet encountered a situation where canti's have held me back. Also I'm just a Luddite, I like the look of canti cc bikes, and I just lament the fact that I'll have to one day replace all the rim brake wheels in our war chest. Someday all road and cx bikes will have discs just as with mtb because that's what the industry wants. I'll get there some day but until then...
 
My Specialized Tricross has held up very well for five years of road, cross and commuting.

( Got a real roadbike from @power423 this past winter to avoid swapping wheels and seat post rack over and over )

Canti's work well enough for cross but upgrading to mini-V brakes to improve braking latency in commute emergencies.

-W
 
You really can't go wrong with any frame.

I can personally speak for the Soma Doublecross Disc as I raced my first year on it after touring from NYC to Montreal on it. My buddy did the same tour and 25 race season on a Surly Cross check. Both frames are more then capable of intense racing abuse, loaded touring, and everything in between.

I also have several friends on All City and they all love them.

With steel you may pay a weight penalty but it won't really be more then a pound or two. Lower price point bikes aren't heavy from the frame as much as the wheels and components. If you're buying used look for something that is built up with nicer wheels and shifty bits.

Don't underestimate steel, It's my favorite CX/touring material. Though I do prefer a carbon fork on there 😉

What ever you settle on you're going to have a blast on. CX is about way more then the bike you're riding.
 
pearl said:
Somervillian!

Jay at Halters deals with Surly and it sounds like that bike fits the bill the most.

Sure, it isn't going to be a screaming race machine as it is slightly heavier, but it will do the job just fine. I don't know if he has any on the floor at the moment. A few of the employees have the steel road bikes they offer, I'm sure you have a good chance that if you show up, one of them would be in the shop for you to get an idea on sizing!
Click to expand...

J has at least one, it's orange and its sitting on top of the displays .... gloves or bags.... Can't remember...
 
Hear lots of mention of steel CX bikes, what about AL? is it considered too brittle of something?
I get the steel touring bike thing as I have one as well, also considering some CX training this Fall
 
qclabrat said:
Hear lots of mention of steel CX bikes, what about AL? is it considered too brittle of something?
I get the steel touring bike thing as I have one as well, also considering some CX training this Fall
Click to expand...

No issues with AL. I just don't think there are a lot of die hard Aluminum folks out there. "Steel is real", but there is no rhyme for aluminum, so manufacturers go with Carbon because it costs them the same or less and can sell for more.
 
qclabrat said:
Hear lots of mention of steel CX bikes, what about AL? is it considered too brittle of something?
I get the steel touring bike thing as I have one as well, also considering some CX training this Fall
Click to expand...
"Aluminum is what my dad rides."

No but seriously, you will be happy with anything you get so long as its not built up with sora. Steel is nice because it starts relatively inexpensive and you can huck it off a cliff after you crash into the tape, rappel down in your fit or rage and ride away without really worrying about it having been shattered into a million pieces.

Aluminum may be lighter and equally inexpensive but it just lacks some of the soul all of my steel bikes have. I push steel because I ride steel and I like steel because steel is real.

One general advantage to most but not all steel CX frames a non compact top tube. The higher the top tube is where it meets the seat tube the more access you have for easy shouldering. Shouldering a compact frame sucks.

Ask @Norm about soul in bikes. Carbon frames are like Johnathan Page, very serious and robotic in conversation. Aluminum just doesn't have a personality at all. Just no soul.

Steel is kinda like throwing your leg over a Parliament funk concert and riding into the sunset.

This is all backed by scientific facts, trust me, I'm an engineer.
 
A
qclabrat said:
Hear lots of mention of steel CX bikes, what about AL? is it considered too brittle of something?
I get the steel touring bike thing as I have one as well, also considering some CX training this Fall
Click to expand...
Also most steel frames have english threaded BBs which are super serviceable and generally easier to "de-creak" after you rode your bike through that mud pit 7 times (including your pre-ride of course)
 
jnos said:
No issues with AL. I just don't think there are a lot of die hard Aluminum folks out there. "Steel is real", but there is no rhyme for aluminum, so manufacturers go with Carbon because it costs them the same or less and can sell for more.
Click to expand...

I'm very pro aluminum. It's a fantastic material for reasonably priced race bike. If I were in the market fora a new CX rig I'd probably buy a Van Dessel Aloominator. Light, durable, made in the USA. The AL Spooky CX bike I used to have was lively in a way that my carbon bikes are not and every bit as light as them. But yes, The Industry has moved on to carbon because people buy into it and it is easy to mass produce. Besides, welding thin wall AL tubing is really difficult.

I don't have anything against steel. My next road bike will probably be steel. But I don't think there is anything magical or soulful about steel bikes generally. A good frame is a good frame, no matter what it is made of, and a crappy one is still a crappy one.
 
trener1 said:
Question for "The Heckler" Why is Sora so bad?.
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I associate the Sora group with bikes which disappoint me in overall build/part selection quality. There isn't much redeeming about most Sora bikes for me to want to own one, or recommend one to someone trying to race the cyclocross.

105, Apex or Rival are a nice starting point. to an already cycling enthusiast. If it came down to someone being brand new to cycling but interested in the cyclocross or their first drop bar road bike Sora would be fine.
 
I hear what you are saying, and I agree with you for the most part (I have dura ace on my road bike and XT on my MTB), but I am looking at getting an entry level cross/gravel/winter bike, yes I'm aware that it will be heavy etc... but do you think that the shifting etc... will be that bad?.
 
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